Former campaign COO: Washington ‘swamp’ using anonymous sources to attack Trump
May 17, 2017, 11:03 AM | Updated: 4:12 pm
President Donald Trump listens as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, May 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
PHOENIX — The Washington, D.C. “swamp” President Donald Trump promised to drain is using anonymous sources to undercut his administration, his former campaign COO said.
“This (anonymous sources) is the way the longtime establishment and the swamp fights back,” Jeff DeWit, who is also the treasurer of Arizona, told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Bruce St. James and Pamela Hughes on Wednesday.
Trump has been beleaguered by leaks since before he even set foot inside the White House, but recent stories have turned the most heads.
The latest round of information from an anonymous source said former FBI Director James Comey was asked by Trump to halt his investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s ties to Russia — an investigation DeWit labeled a “farce.”
Days before that, an anonymous source told media that Trump had shared classified information with Russian officials.
DeWit said those leaks are designed to ensure the president gets “as little of the agenda done as possible” because the press will ask about them, even if they are untrue.
“Then you have to go and explain what happened during the meeting,” he said, giving an example.
He also questioned the identities of the sources and if they are actually “someone with knowledge of the situation,” as many outlets have claimed.
“The anonymous source could be be the plumber from the reporter’s apartment building,” DeWit said.
Battling against leaks has been a theme of Trump’s time in office. The president has criticized the media’s use of anonymous sources, saying they could be used to make up information.
“They shouldn’t be allowed to use sources unless they use somebody’s name,” he said in February. “Let their name be put out there.”
DeWit said some new faces could join the administration because of the recent spate of anonymous leaks.
“I wouldn’t be surprised to see shake-ups happen,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
